Apparatus for marking the surface of articles

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of marking the surface of articles, more particularly but not exclusively with a view to obtaining distinctive signs on non-plane surfaces such as the surface of balls. It is characterized in that the material (8) making up the sign (2) is molded on a temporary support (11) that is independent of the article, and one or more benchmarks (12) are molded on that same support; in the mold for the article, which is made in at least two portions (14, 15), the temporary support is inserted, which with the aid of the one or more benchmarks (12) is positioned with respect to one (15) of the portions (14, 15) of the mold; from the inside portion (15) of the mold (13), the material which will make the article is injected into the mold, and with the aid of the pressure of this material, the temporary support is locally deformed and presses its outside face (19) against the impression (17) of the portion of the mold that will form the marked surface of the article that carries the sign; the temporary support is removed, and the surface thus exposed is finish-ground. The invention is applicable to the gambling equipment industry.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for marking the surface of an article, comprising a first mold (20) made in at least two portions (21, 22), a first portion of which is planar and serves to support a temporary support (11) and a second portion which carries an impression (23) of a symbol to be applied to said article, said first mold further including means for producing a benchmark means (12) on said temporary support for positioning said temporary support in a second mold at a predetermined position in said second mold, said benchmark producing means being so constructed and arranged to produce said benchmark means at a physically separate location from a location of said impression of said symbol, such that said benchmark means and said symbol are physically separate elements retained in their respective positions relative to each other by said temporary support, wherein said first mold has means for substantially simultaneously producing both said symbol (2) and the benchmark means (12) on said temporary support at said physically separate locations;   said apparatus further comprising a second mold (13), said second mold having at least two portions (14, 15), a joining plane (16) of said at least two portions of said second mold extending along and defining a periphery of a contoured surface (7) to be molded and marked with said symbol, such that a first portion (14) of the second mold carries only an impression (17) of a finished contour of a portion of the article marked with said symbol, while a second, inside portion (15) of the second mold carries an impression (18) of a contour of a remainder of the article, and carries an arrival tube (26) which is adapted to deliver the material to be molded under pressure, said second mold further including means for receiving the benchmark means (12) of the temporary support therein to position said temporary support within said second mold, said benchmark receiving means being physically spaced apart from said impressions carried by said first and second portions of said second mold.